Match box



Oct, 24, 1939. J MCGUIRE 2,177,495

MATCH BOX Filed June 18, 1938 s E B INVENTOR.

JOHN B. McQU/RE ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MATCH BOX.

John B. McGuire, Wichita, Kans., assignor of forty-nine per cent to Julius W. Hearne, Wichita, Kans.

Application June 18, 1938, Serial No. 214,524

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in match boxes, and has for its principal object the preservation of the original box as storage, and the embodiment of a flap hanger and a pocket for the box as accessible means to remove the matches therefrom in such quantity as desired from time to time, and the last said means arranged in such a way as to retain the remaining matches in or derly position until all have been removed. The

.10 flap hanger and accessibly arranged pocket are adapted to fold within the box without materially detracting from its storage capacity with respect to boxes heretofore adopted for a similar purpose, and used by manufacturers of matches. Furthermore, match boxes thus arranged may be discarded or put to other uses at the option of patrons of such merchandise.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more'fully explained, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters will applyto like parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a reduced plan view of the box blank prior to folding the same.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the match box, parts removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the box.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the box showing the unfolded position of the fiap and pocket.

Fig. 5 is a side View of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the box taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 4.

This invention relates to the novel construction of the match containing portion of the box, having a bottom l, sides 2, and end walls 3 and 4, the top being open to receive the matches therein and being retained by a sleeve portion 5 and slideable thereover.

Integrally joined and extending from said bottom I is a flap 6 having an aperture 6 spaced inward from the upper end thereof to engage on a pin or the like, the flap functioning as a pendant supporting means for the match box as a whole, said flap being adapted to fold across end 4 and inward, partially enclosing the opening of the box as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the boxis equipped of a pocket comprising a front wall I and oppositely disposed end walls 8, integrally joined and adapted to rock inward as shown by dotted line A, the front partially closing its respective end as shown in Fig. 2, and the said front portion has an arcuate notch B extending inward as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 2, the notch as facilitating means to grip matches that will partially fill the pocket as they drop downward in the box. The said pocket being positioned outward as'shown in Figs. 5 and 6 provides ample access to the matches, and also will retain said matches orderly and from dropping outward as by an overflow. It will be seen in Figs. 1, 5, and 6 that the end walls of the pocket extend inward, each slideably engaging in their respective slot 9 as the pocket is rocked inward and outward from its hinged point C, which is accomplished by a break of the fibrous material, such as pasteboard, of which the said box is constructed.

To avoid excess outward rock of the pocket is through the medium of a detent l0, upwardly and outwardly extending from each end wall of the pocket. Being so positioned, the crotch as at E will engage at the upper extremity of said slot, it being understood that when the pocket is rocked to a closed position the end walls will slide freely between the ends of the matches and the side walls of the box, at which time the said sleeve 5 is free to slide downward to its closing position on the box as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The said pocket, when rocked outward, is means to support the sleeve a spaced distance from the lower end of the box by resting on the end Walls of the pocket, freeing the matches to move downward and outward into the pocket as removed therefrom.

It will be seen that the flap is carrying means for its respective portion of the box and contents thereof, as well as the sleeve 5 that rests on the end walls of the pocket. In other words, this invention resides in the novel construction of the box that is made from a single sheet of fibrous material as set forth in Fig. 1, in which View is shown by dotted lines the bending points to form said box, the sides of which are formed by bending on dotted lines F, while the ends are formed by bending on dotted lines H, last said bent portions as at J adapted to lap on each other at their adjacent inner ends, and being secured together, after which the flap portion as at K is bent upward and across the outside of its respective end of the box, and by bending said flap on dotted lines L is means to position the outer portion thereof as at M inward and upon the matches contained in the box. Positioned at the other end is the pocket arrangement in which dotted line N is the bending point so that the portion 0 will lap snugly on its respective end members of the box, and being secured thereto as reinforcing means therefor to resist the force required while gathering the matches from the pocket. The ends of said pocket are formed by bending on dotted lines P, and the said pocket as heretofore stated, will be bent on dotted line C. The box, being thus formed, will accomplish the points of my improvement as above set forth.

To accomplish the result of the match box thus constructed, I first move the sleeve from the flap of the box to remove said flap, after which the said sleeve will be retracted sufficient to uncover the top of the pocket, permitting the same to rock outward, at which instant the matches may be removed from time to time from the box as pendantly supported. Furthermore, in the manufacture and placing of matches in the box, the said flap and the front of the pocket will function as a temporary cover and retainer for the matches while placing the sleeve thereover.

While I have shown and described the component parts of a match box as being constructed of fibrous material, pasteboard or the like, I do not wish to be restricted to such alone, as other fibrous material may be employed, and furthermore, the exact position of the pocket element may be varied by changing the contour of the end walls and the detents retaining the pocket in its open position, and such other modifications may be made as lie within the scope of the appended claims. I also direct attention that the box, being thus preserved as an original package having advertising placed thereon, the latter will not be disturbed if such is desired except that shown on the back. This, however, may be transferred to the exposed face of the flap, and the front of the pocket may also contain descriptive matter that will remain in View when the box is pendantly positioned for the purpose specified.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a match box, in combination with a box comprising a bottom, ends, and side walls and a sleeve to receive the box slideable therein, the ends of the sleeve being open and the box having a pocket comprising a front and ends, the front closed position, the ends of the pocket being so,

positioned is means to conceal said end portions when the pocket is closed to avoid obstruction when the end of the sleeve is being moved over the pocket, a detent formed on each end wall of the pocket adjacent the inner ends thereof,'the detents slantingly positioned and extending toward the front of the pocket so that the crotch of each detent will seat in the upper extremity of their respective slots as retaining means for the normal open position of the, pocket and to avoid contact of the detents with the wall of the sleeve.

2. In a match box, a box comprised of a bottom, sides and end walls integrally joined, the sides each having an elongated slot extending I from one end inward longitudinally of the box a short distance and being in parallelism with the bottom of the box, one end wall having an extension outward fromvthe opening of the box and adapted to lap over the opening a short distance and a portion of each end of said extension being bent at right angle towards the box whereby end Walls are formed for the extension to slideably engage in the slots of the box re- JOHN B. MCGUIRE. 

